day. They created two crossbreeds: the first, the Anglo-Nor- man, could be divided neatly into two distinct types--a draft cob and a riding horse; the second was a fast harness horse, which was bred to satisfy the great interest in trotting races.” In time, however, the latter became the French Trotter.
But the combination of Norfolk Roadster and Thoroughbred blood became the prototype for the Selle Français. While the region and its horse population, notably its coveted Norman mares, were hit hard by two world wars, breeders somehow managed to save the best mares and breed them to Thor- oughbreds standing at the national studs. These outstanding Thoroughbreds, namely Orange Peel,
Lord Frey and Ivanhoe and post-World War II stallions Ulti- mate and Furioso, became top sires of the day and helped create the prototype for the modern-day Selle Français. Fu- rioso enjoyed an excellent stud career at Le Pin in Normandy, where he reigned as a top sire for ten years, producing world- class show jumpers. An example of the outstanding breeding that occurred
thanks to these fine horses can be seen in the great Galoubet (Almé x Nystag). Almé, a great-grandson of Orange Peel, was mostly Thoroughbred with Anglo-Arab blood. Galoubet’s mother, Viti by Nystag, was a Trotter. Today, the Selle Français is recognized as a consummate
show jumper and event horse, known for athleticism and willingness to please, a kind disposition and a sound mind. All those attributes make these horses equally attractive in the hunter ring. The Selle Français is the premier horse of French show jumpers and naturally the number one horse of the French Olympic teams. In 2004, the Selle Français stallion Baloubet du Rouet (Galoubet A x Mesange du Rouet/Starter), ridden by Rodrigo Pessoa of Brazil, took the individual gold in show jumping. Baloubet is a three-time World Cup winner, winning or placing in many international Grand Prix classes. France also won the team gold medal in eventing that year with Selle Français and French Anglo-Arab horses. In 2013, the Selle Français is the number three studbook
internationally for show jumping according to the WBFSH World Ranking List (as of October 2013). Headlining that list is the number one WBFSH jumper, Castle Forbes Myrtille Pau- lois (Dollar de Murier x Grand Veneur), who was the winner of the 2013 European Championships. Another SF jumper, Pal- loubet d’ Halong (Baloubet du Rouet x Muguet du Manoir), is the most expensive show jumper ever sold and ranks 28th in the WBFSH. In eventing, the Selle Français ranks a very re- spectable sixth.
RESURGENCE IN THE U.S. Even with the breed’s impressive history and the ever-in-
creasing market for top sport horses in the U.S., the process to reopen the studbook was not an easy task. “Mostly I be- lieve the registry closed for financial reasons,” says Jean Yves. “The Selle Français was doing what it was doing but the reg- istry did not work. I thought, this is going to be a big hole in this country which is very heavily influenced by the German and Dutch breeds. Once the studbook closed a lot of people
were disappointed. People invested a lot in the studbook. I just started my campaign to the French.” At first Jean Yves did not hear much response from the
French contingent. He had to convince them there was a real market here in the U.S. “If they are to ignore it, the harder it would be to get back in. Slowly but surely I regained their confidence and made them an offer they couldn’t refuse,” he says. The offer? “I don’t want any money,” says Jean Yves whose
office is based in Lexington, Kentucky. “I will give [them] the money. I traveled over there and then I met with them here and finally we agreed.” In 2012 the studbook officially re- opened here in the U.S. with Jean Yves as its director. “All the horses that were registered and approved prior are still reg- istered and approved,” he says. “There’s nothing to pay. Their status hasn’t changed. Our website
www.ansf-us.com lists the stallions that are available with fresh or frozen semen.” Some of the horses are available here but most are in France. The new website boasts a number of top stallions with
impressive accomplishments including the number one jumper in the world and European Champion SF Castle Forbes Myrtille Paulois (Dollar du Murier / Grand Veneur), a 2013 Gold Medal winner in the London Olympics, and Nino des Buissonnets (Kannan / Narcos II) who placed second in the 2013 World Cup.
HILLTOP JUMPS ONBOARD There’s a lineup of approved Selle Français stallions available
at a variety of U.S. farms to approved mares. One of those farms, better known for producing top dressage horses, is Hilltop Farm in Colora, Maryland. The SF horses are a good fit for Hilltop, says Natalie DiBerardinis, the farm’s general manager and breeding manager. “There are a couple of components to that,” she explains. “I think certainly the initial stallions that were first purchased for the farm back before there was even a farm…a couple of those stallions that Jane MacElree, president/owner of Hilltop, bought actually had quite a strong jumper pedigree. But by and large certainly
Opposite page and above: The SF stallion Castle Forbes Myr- tille Paulois, currently ranked the top jumper in the world.
Warmbloods Today 53
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